


Why Would You Do That?

by Impossiblefangirl0632



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Dark Rey (Star Wars), F/M, Ficlet, Redemption, Temporary Character Death, beauty and the beast vibes, the rise of skywalker speculation, the world between worlds, tros trailer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-09-29 18:11:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20440304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impossiblefangirl0632/pseuds/Impossiblefangirl0632
Summary: In the search for the truth about her parents Rey has been possessed by the lingering spirit of Darth Sidious. Ben Solo will stop at nothing to save Rey from the dark side, after all she did the same for him.





	1. Part I Sacrifice

**Author's Note:**

> Just an idea that's been bouncing around my head since the second trailer came out. Forgive grammar mistakes, they will be fixed later.

He thought he would be happy to see his vision of the future fulfilled. He was wrong.

Rey emerged from the shadows, the cracked durasteel behind her. Malice glinted in her eyes illuminated by the crackling glow of her blades. This was wrong. And it was his fault. He wanted to let the past die leave the sith behind not resurrect them. He pushed Rey away, tried to shield her from Palpatine which backfired horribly just like everything else in his life.

Rey snapped her lightsaber open and began to stalk forward. Kylo’s grip on his own saber tightened, gloved fingers running over the familiar edges. Rey spoke but her voice was wrong. It was layered with Palpatine’s growling timbre. Confirming Ben’s fears that it was too late and Rey was already possessed by the Sith Lord’s essence.

“The girl was wrong to trust you, young Skywalker.” Sparks flew as she scraped the ground with the tip of the lightsaber. “It was her quest to bring you back to the light that lead her straight to me. Though I guess I should thank you for awakening the Force in my little experiment.” Ben stiffened momentarily before continuing to circle, countering her predatory steps. “Yes, I’m afraid she discovered the lie in the half truth you told her. Her parents did indeed sell her for drinking money, but not to that miserable Crolute. I wonder what would have happened had you told her she was the result of dark side experiments.” 

She stopped circling and adjusted her grip on the weapon. “I guess we’ll never know.” 

He forced himself to look into her eyes no longer a bright hazel but now a deadened yellow. “Rey, I’m sorry.”

Their sabers clashed sending red sparks. Evenly matched the bond was strained, hating that they were fighting. He reached out into the bond, searching for Rey, for the real Rey. He could sense her faintly. She was fighting Palpatine’s influence but the Sith’s hold was too strong. She needed him to be distracted to break through. Ben was caught off guard with his focus split between the bond and the force. Rey sliced a deep cut through his upper arm, almost mirroring her own injury during the fight against the praetorians. He felt Palpatine’s hold flicker in the moment. It gave him an idea. An incredibly stupid idea that would have made his father proud had he stopped to consider such things. 

Rey drew back shaking her head as though to clear it, the yellow and hazel fighting for dominance. He waited, biding his time. Soon enough she attacked, he made to parry but at the last second deactivated his lightsaber and threw himself back. The angry spitting blade carved a line from his right hip to his left shoulder, a stroke that would surely have been fatal had he not jumped back. He fell backwards unable to breathe. The wound may not of killed him instantly but he knew he was dying. 

Rey dropped the lightsaber, hands clutching at her head. Ben didn’t think he had ever heard anything more beautiful than her uncorrupted voice shouting “GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” Smoke rose from Rey’s shoulders swirling menacingly. It moved in Ben’s direction before it froze “You,” Rey ground out “You stay away from him” She clenched her outstretched hand they smoke began to condense and writhe as though in pain. 

From the ground Ben watched in awe as he felt the force swirl around Rey, the light and the dark, perfectly balanced. With a final tug the smoke solidified and then crumbled to dust. 

Ben felt as close to peace as was possible for him, knowing that Rey was free. He felt himself fading fast, he let his head fall to the floor the last dredges of energy spent. 

Rey scrambled to kneel at his side, picking through the scattered debris. “Ben! Why did you do that?!” She demanded. Her hands were busy ripping at the excess material of her robe trying to make bindings.

“Rey...” He croaked before coughing up specks of blood. “It worked didn’t it? You pushed him out.”

“But why?!” Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes “You hate me.”

“I’ve never hated you, I think I-” coughing cut off his next words, his eyes flickered closed. 

“Ben?” Rey choked on the word. Her trembling fingers reached to tenderly brush the hair out of his eyes. “Don’t die on me. Not now.”

With great effort they opened again, catching hers “I can’t go without telling you-” He stuggled to breathe. 

“If it means you’ll stay then don’t say it.”

“Rey, please." His eyes slipped closed. "I did it because I love you." 

Rey stared in shock. Her hand frozen where it had been on his face. Softy, "you, you love me?"

"Completely smitten since you broke into my mind the first day." He reached shakily for her hand, intertwining their fingers. He knew he was dying and it gave him courage. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come back." He wheezed feebly "better right before the end than never I guess."

"You can't die! You're not going to die. I won't let you. Not now." 

"I'm sorry…" he stopped speaking. Rey searched for him in the force but he was gone.


	2. Part II Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben meets a friendly face in the afterlife and has to make a decision.

If Ben had known this was what the afterlife was like he might have tried harder to live longer. It was boring. He didn't so much wake up here, as one moment he was dying with a blaze of pain across his chest and the next he opened his eyes to find that the pain was gone, along with the wound that killed him. 

It may have been seconds or years that he’d been here, all sense of time was non-existent. He was surrounded by a crushing black void on all sides interrupted only by a web of brilliant white line that roved around the space forming paths in every direction adding to his disorientation. 

Between the eternities, something changed.

There was another person now.

The blue glowing figure was in front of him sooner than physics should have allowed. From the tell tale blue glow he expected Luke, maybe his grandfather or some Jedi come to pass judgement but it wasn’t. 

It was his father, Han Solo. 

He gulped uneasily as Han came to a stop in front of him. “Ben.” His voice was calm but still had that ever present teasing undertone. It was a stark contrast to the yell he had addressed his son with the last time they had met in person. 

“Han-” Ben said on instinct before deciding. “Dad…” He struggled to keep his emotions in check. “Dad I’m sorry.” 

Han shook his head “ I’m sorry too” Neither of the Solo men had ever been known for their ability to verbally express their emotions. Han jerked his head down the path he’d come from. “Come on, there's something I want to show you.”

When they walked further Ben could hear voices in the distance, all speaking at once. They passed empty portals that came into existence as they approached them and faded into oblivion as they passed. Eventually Han came to a stop in front of one. “We don’t have enough time to say all the things that need saying but I need you to know that I’m proud of you Ben.” 

Ben’s eyes snapped to his father’s face, not believing what he had just heard. Han knew his son well enough to know that he didn’t believe him. “You saved Rey,” as he spoke the portal changed from an empty black to show Rey kneeling over Ben’s broken body. “Strange isn’t it?”

Ben nodded mutely watching, his eyes narrowed analyzing Rey’s stance and movements. “She’s trying to use the force to heal me.”

“She doesn’t give up does she?” Ben shook his head. 

Han put an arm around his shoulders. “You can go back if you want.”

Ben inhaled sharply and gave Han a shrewd look “Just like that? I don’t think I deserve a second chance.”

Han turned him to place both hands on his son’s shoulders. Ben couldn’t meet his eyes, guilt etched on his face. “Ben, look at me.” Han nodded to the increasingly frantic Rey. “She thinks you deserve another chance, and so do I. Go back and show everyone what kind of man Ben Solo can be.” 

Ben gave his father a minuscule smile but it was a smile nonetheless. He considered his father’s words. He really thought the galaxy would be better off without him but would Rey? IN that moment he made up his mind. As soon as he did, he felt a pull, like he was standing in shifting sand.

“Dad!” He shouted in panic “What do I do about Rey?”

“Never ever leave her kid. You stick with her. Don’t do what I did.” His voice grew fainter, his outline growing blurry to Ben’s eyes “I love you son.”

***

Ben was falling or maybe flying through the void. With a final wrench he slammed back into his body. Eyes wide gasping for breathe he bolted upright, displacing Rey. His ears were ringing and his vision was warped and blurry. In his disorientation he didn’t realize what she was doing until he felt the physical weight of her arms wrapped around him. Slowly his senses returned to normal. Rey was crying into his shoulder. Gently he shifted so he could hold her to him, murmuring her name. He wove his fingers through her hair. Cradling her head he pressed his face into her neck breathing her in. 

“Ben…” Rey pulled away, still in his arms though and put her hands to his face, gently cupping it. “I thought I’d lost you.”

He leaned into her touch. It was everything he had longed for and more. It took a few false starts to get his voice to work properly but he eventually whispered, “My father was there.” His baritone voice was raw but no longer gasping. “I got to apologize, he said he was proud of me, that he loves me.” 

Rey scrutinized his face taking in the expression of hopeful disbelief. Tears still fell from her eyes. She had no words and could only express herself by hugging him tightly. 

“I could see you” He murmured as he stroked her back. “Healing me, trying to bring me back. All I wanted was to come back to you. You saved me Rey.” He held her close. “You saved me.”

Rey smiled weakly “Well you saved me from Palpatine first.”

“Yes but you saved me from myself long before that.” Rey blushed slightly and looked down. 

“He told me something else.” Rey quirked an eyebrow as a sign to continue. “He said I should stick with you. As long as you’ll let me that is.” He added the qualifier on in a rush.

She smiled. “You came back for me. Of course I want you to stay with me.” She put her hand to the back of his head and slowly, deliberately pulled him forward, keeping eye contact the whole way, asking for permission.

Ben closed his eyes and closed the gap bringing his lips to hers in what they both hoped would be the first of a lifetime of tender kisses. Or at least it started tender. The stress of what had just occurred caught up to them and the kiss became frantic, hands wandering down backs and tangling in hair. Their bond hummed in contentment. Eventually they pulled apart, both wearing bright eyes and shy smiles. He took her hands and pressed his forehead to hers. 

Rey spoke with conviction, echoing the words that led them down this path. “You’re not alone.”

He chuckled lightly, “Neither are you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This was extremely short and could have spent longer on the emotions of the people involved but college is stressful and I'm just proud of myself for actually finishing this.  
Come say hi on [tumblr!](https://pg-13reylo.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> Part II should be up within a week


End file.
